UK Armed Forces chief: our troops in Ukraine must be safe

Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff of the UK Armed Forces, has said he must be confident that British troops would be safe if they are sent to Ukraine as part of security guarantees.

Source: Sky News, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Knighton said he would not deploy the armed forces to Ukraine if he is not satisfied with their safety.

Responding to a question from Conservative MP Jesse Norman on the Defence Committee about whether UK troops deployed to monitor the implementation of a peace deal in Ukraine would be equipped to maintain a "safe capability", Knighton answered in the affirmative.

He said he is confident that personnel would be deployed in a way that ensures their safety.

Asked whether he is factoring in the operational risks of such a mission, Knighton said all participants in the Coalition of the Willing are working on this.

He added that active involvement in planning means they have the means to meet the requirements and that additional funding would reduce the risk.

Background:

• The UK and France committed in a declaration on 6 January to deploy troops in Ukraine if a peace agreement is reached.
• The Times reported that the UK would send fewer than 7,500 troops to Ukraine to monitor compliance with a potential peace deal.
• UK Defence Secretary John Healey has refused to say how many troops the UK would send to support peace.

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